Protect Our Children and Restore Accountability on Social Media
The Issue
Protect Our Children and Restore Accountability on Social Media
A National Petition to the United States Congress
Petition addressed to: The United States Congress, including the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.
OUR MISSION
We are calling for stronger identity verification, better protection of minors, prevention of cyberbullying, and greater accountability for social media platforms operating in the United States.
Social media has become part of everyday life. It allows people to communicate, build relationships, share information, and connect with the world. However, the lack of sufficient safeguards and accountability has created serious concerns about the safety of children and the well-being of users of all ages.
We believe it is time to establish stronger, consistent protections that make social media safer and more responsible.
WHY WE ARE PETITIONING
We are concerned about the growing misuse of social media accounts, including:
• Fake and fraudulent accounts: Individuals creating multiple identities to deceive, impersonate, exploit, threaten, or harass others.
• Children's online safety: Minors accessing sexually explicit material, pornography, violent content, and other age-inappropriate material.
• Cyberbullying: Individuals using social media to humiliate, intimidate, threaten, ridicule, or repeatedly target others.
• Online harassment: Fake or anonymous accounts being used to spread rumors, distribute private information, share inappropriate material, or encourage harassment.
• Predatory behavior: Adults using online platforms to engage in inappropriate or exploitative interactions with minors.
• Lack of accountability: Users repeatedly creating new accounts after being suspended or restricted for harmful conduct.
These concerns affect children, teenagers, adults, parents, families, and communities.
No child should have to navigate an online environment without meaningful protection. No individual should have to endure repeated harassment or intimidation simply because they participate in social media.
WHAT WE ARE ASKING CONGRESS TO ESTABLISH
We respectfully request federal legislation requiring social media platforms to implement the following protections.
1. IDENTITY VERIFICATION FOR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS
Require platforms to establish reliable methods of verifying that accounts are associated with real, unique individuals.
The purpose is to reduce fake accounts, impersonation, fraudulent activity, and repeated account creation for abusive purposes.
Users should still be permitted to use pseudonyms or usernames publicly. Their legal identities should not be publicly displayed.
2. EFFECTIVE AGE VERIFICATION AND PROTECTION OF MINORS
Require appropriate, privacy-protective age-verification or age-assurance systems to help prevent minors from accessing age-restricted content and services.
Establish stronger protections against pornography, sexually explicit material, child exploitation, predatory behavior, and inappropriate adult-to-minor interactions.
3. STRONGER ANTI-BULLYING PROTECTIONS
Require social media platforms to establish meaningful policies and enforcement procedures addressing:
• Cyberbullying and repeated harassment.
• Threats, intimidation, and targeted abuse.
• Public humiliation and malicious harassment campaigns.
• Impersonation and the creation of fake accounts to bully others.
• Distribution of private or intimate images without consent.
• Harassment directed toward children and teenagers.
Victims should have accessible reporting systems, timely investigations, protection against continued contact, and clear information about actions taken.
4. ACCOUNTABILITY FOR FAKE AND ABUSIVE ACCOUNTS
Require platforms to take reasonable steps to detect and address accounts used for fraud, impersonation, harassment, exploitation, and repeated violations of safety policies.
Where appropriate, platforms should be able to identify repeat offenders attempting to evade account suspensions by creating new accounts.
5. GREATER RESPONSIBILITY FOR SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES
Require social media companies to maintain effective reporting systems, enforce their safety policies consistently, address credible reports of harmful conduct, and provide transparency regarding their enforcement practices.
6. PRIVACY AND DATA SECURITY PROTECTIONS
Identity verification must not come at the expense of everyone's privacy.
We request safeguards including:
• Secure verification methods.
• Minimal collection and retention of personal information.
• Protection against identity theft and data breaches.
• Strict limits on sharing or selling verification information.
• Alternative verification methods for individuals without government-issued identification.
• Protection for legitimate anonymous and pseudonymous expression.
Personal identity information should never be publicly accessible simply because someone uses social media.
WHY FEDERAL ACTION IS IMPORTANT
Social media platforms operate across state boundaries and reach millions of Americans.
We believe consistent nationwide standards are needed so that children's safety, online accountability, and privacy protections do not depend entirely on which platform someone uses.
Parents should have greater confidence that their children are protected.
Children should be able to use the internet without being exposed to exploitation, inappropriate material, or persistent bullying.
Adults should be able to participate in online communities without fear of impersonation, harassment, or intimidation.
Social media companies should be expected to take meaningful responsibility for the safety of the environments they operate.
OUR FORMAL REQUEST TO CONGRESS
We respectfully ask the United States Congress to:
1. Review the concerns outlined in this petition.
2. Hold hearings and consult child-safety, cybersecurity, privacy, and civil-liberties experts.
3. Consider introducing or advancing federal legislation establishing stronger social media identity-verification and age-assurance standards.
4. Establish consistent protections against cyberbullying, harassment, impersonation, and online exploitation.
5. Require meaningful accountability and transparency from social media platforms.
6. Ensure that all proposed safeguards respect constitutional rights, individual privacy, and legitimate freedom of expression.
OUR COMMITMENT
We, the undersigned, support stronger protections for children, greater accountability for social media platforms, and a safer online environment for everyone.
We believe technology should serve people, not expose them to unnecessary harm.
We believe privacy and accountability can coexist.
We believe children deserve protection, victims deserve to be heard, and online abuse should not be allowed to flourish without meaningful consequences.
It is time to make online safety, accountability, and the protection of our children a national priority.
We respectfully request that Congress take action.
PETITION SIGNATURES
By signing this petition, I support the proposed federal action to strengthen social media identity verification, protect minors, prevent cyberbullying and harassment, and establish greater platform accountability while preserving privacy and legitimate freedom of expression.
8
The Issue
Protect Our Children and Restore Accountability on Social Media
A National Petition to the United States Congress
Petition addressed to: The United States Congress, including the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate.
OUR MISSION
We are calling for stronger identity verification, better protection of minors, prevention of cyberbullying, and greater accountability for social media platforms operating in the United States.
Social media has become part of everyday life. It allows people to communicate, build relationships, share information, and connect with the world. However, the lack of sufficient safeguards and accountability has created serious concerns about the safety of children and the well-being of users of all ages.
We believe it is time to establish stronger, consistent protections that make social media safer and more responsible.
WHY WE ARE PETITIONING
We are concerned about the growing misuse of social media accounts, including:
• Fake and fraudulent accounts: Individuals creating multiple identities to deceive, impersonate, exploit, threaten, or harass others.
• Children's online safety: Minors accessing sexually explicit material, pornography, violent content, and other age-inappropriate material.
• Cyberbullying: Individuals using social media to humiliate, intimidate, threaten, ridicule, or repeatedly target others.
• Online harassment: Fake or anonymous accounts being used to spread rumors, distribute private information, share inappropriate material, or encourage harassment.
• Predatory behavior: Adults using online platforms to engage in inappropriate or exploitative interactions with minors.
• Lack of accountability: Users repeatedly creating new accounts after being suspended or restricted for harmful conduct.
These concerns affect children, teenagers, adults, parents, families, and communities.
No child should have to navigate an online environment without meaningful protection. No individual should have to endure repeated harassment or intimidation simply because they participate in social media.
WHAT WE ARE ASKING CONGRESS TO ESTABLISH
We respectfully request federal legislation requiring social media platforms to implement the following protections.
1. IDENTITY VERIFICATION FOR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS
Require platforms to establish reliable methods of verifying that accounts are associated with real, unique individuals.
The purpose is to reduce fake accounts, impersonation, fraudulent activity, and repeated account creation for abusive purposes.
Users should still be permitted to use pseudonyms or usernames publicly. Their legal identities should not be publicly displayed.
2. EFFECTIVE AGE VERIFICATION AND PROTECTION OF MINORS
Require appropriate, privacy-protective age-verification or age-assurance systems to help prevent minors from accessing age-restricted content and services.
Establish stronger protections against pornography, sexually explicit material, child exploitation, predatory behavior, and inappropriate adult-to-minor interactions.
3. STRONGER ANTI-BULLYING PROTECTIONS
Require social media platforms to establish meaningful policies and enforcement procedures addressing:
• Cyberbullying and repeated harassment.
• Threats, intimidation, and targeted abuse.
• Public humiliation and malicious harassment campaigns.
• Impersonation and the creation of fake accounts to bully others.
• Distribution of private or intimate images without consent.
• Harassment directed toward children and teenagers.
Victims should have accessible reporting systems, timely investigations, protection against continued contact, and clear information about actions taken.
4. ACCOUNTABILITY FOR FAKE AND ABUSIVE ACCOUNTS
Require platforms to take reasonable steps to detect and address accounts used for fraud, impersonation, harassment, exploitation, and repeated violations of safety policies.
Where appropriate, platforms should be able to identify repeat offenders attempting to evade account suspensions by creating new accounts.
5. GREATER RESPONSIBILITY FOR SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES
Require social media companies to maintain effective reporting systems, enforce their safety policies consistently, address credible reports of harmful conduct, and provide transparency regarding their enforcement practices.
6. PRIVACY AND DATA SECURITY PROTECTIONS
Identity verification must not come at the expense of everyone's privacy.
We request safeguards including:
• Secure verification methods.
• Minimal collection and retention of personal information.
• Protection against identity theft and data breaches.
• Strict limits on sharing or selling verification information.
• Alternative verification methods for individuals without government-issued identification.
• Protection for legitimate anonymous and pseudonymous expression.
Personal identity information should never be publicly accessible simply because someone uses social media.
WHY FEDERAL ACTION IS IMPORTANT
Social media platforms operate across state boundaries and reach millions of Americans.
We believe consistent nationwide standards are needed so that children's safety, online accountability, and privacy protections do not depend entirely on which platform someone uses.
Parents should have greater confidence that their children are protected.
Children should be able to use the internet without being exposed to exploitation, inappropriate material, or persistent bullying.
Adults should be able to participate in online communities without fear of impersonation, harassment, or intimidation.
Social media companies should be expected to take meaningful responsibility for the safety of the environments they operate.
OUR FORMAL REQUEST TO CONGRESS
We respectfully ask the United States Congress to:
1. Review the concerns outlined in this petition.
2. Hold hearings and consult child-safety, cybersecurity, privacy, and civil-liberties experts.
3. Consider introducing or advancing federal legislation establishing stronger social media identity-verification and age-assurance standards.
4. Establish consistent protections against cyberbullying, harassment, impersonation, and online exploitation.
5. Require meaningful accountability and transparency from social media platforms.
6. Ensure that all proposed safeguards respect constitutional rights, individual privacy, and legitimate freedom of expression.
OUR COMMITMENT
We, the undersigned, support stronger protections for children, greater accountability for social media platforms, and a safer online environment for everyone.
We believe technology should serve people, not expose them to unnecessary harm.
We believe privacy and accountability can coexist.
We believe children deserve protection, victims deserve to be heard, and online abuse should not be allowed to flourish without meaningful consequences.
It is time to make online safety, accountability, and the protection of our children a national priority.
We respectfully request that Congress take action.
PETITION SIGNATURES
By signing this petition, I support the proposed federal action to strengthen social media identity verification, protect minors, prevent cyberbullying and harassment, and establish greater platform accountability while preserving privacy and legitimate freedom of expression.
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Petition created on October 31, 2026